the preposition zu

zum or zur — the one-line answer

Shortcutzum = zu + dem (masculine/neuter) · zur = zu + der (feminine). There is no other option.

With zu the contracted form is the normal form; the full zu dem is not wrong, but you only hear it with stress, as in “to that doctor”. bei fuses only with dem, but zu fuses with both dem and der — so you have to learn two forms.

• zu mir · zu dir · zu ihm · zu ihr · zu uns · zu euch · zu ihnen
• Komm zu mir! — Come to me!

The three jobs of zu

• Ich gehe zum Arzt. I’m going to the doctor. 1 · institution
• Sie fährt zur Arbeit. She’s driving to work. 1 · feminine → zur
• Kommst du zu mir? Are you coming to my place? 1 · person
• Was gibt es zum Frühstück? What’s for breakfast? 2 · purpose
• Ich gehe zu Fuß. I’m going on foot. 3 · fixed phrase
• Wir essen zu Mittag. We’re having lunch. 3 · fixed phrase

zu, nach or in?

ShortcutIf there is a person or an institution behind the word, use zu. For a city or country it’s nach; for a building you walk into, it’s in + accusative.

The opposite of zu is von, and the “being at” version is bei: zum Arzt → beim Arzt → vom Arzt (to the doctor → at the doctor’s → from the doctor). The whole three-part system is in the table on the aus page.

Don’t mix it up: zu meaning “too”

The word zu also shows up in front of an adjective, and there it is not a preposition: it means “too, more than enough”. An adjective follows, not a noun, and there is no case question.

There is a third zu: the zu before an infinitive — Ich habe vergessen, dich anzurufen. That is a completely separate topic, covered on the zu + infinitive page. English spells these three differently (“to”, “too”, “to call”), while German uses one word for all of them; what follows it tells you which one you have: noun → preposition, adjective → “too”, verb → infinitive construction.

Traps

The other dative prepositions